Koopa and the Peach
by Vampire Tails
Summary: It has been years since a curse was placed upon the castle. Can this King of Koopas really learn how to love like anyone else? Rated K ; may go up in the future.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I've had this sitting in my Drive for so long I almost forgot about it. Here's a story I may not continue. It's got three chapters to its name and one's not finished. I might luck up and finish it, but we'll see. For now, here it is. I got inspired by this after Beauty and the Beast became one of the only things I heard in the household. It'll have twists and turns unique to itself. So don't write this off just yet. :3

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 **Princess and the Koopa  
** **Prologue**

The world opened to a village of mushrooms and other inhabitants. Bright and cheerful and vivid they all were, walking along the path or watching the fountain. The entirety of it all was peaceful and quiet. And happy.

However.

Deep in the woods in the far reaches of the town, where no one had dared to travel, lay a castle unlike any other. Moats of lava sprawled around it, and a peculiar symbol had been stamped throughout.

Here, someone was not peaceful, or quiet. Or even happy. Upon his throne, he sat, pouting and drumming his claws against the table in front of him. He looked around, small red eyes glinting and fiery orange eyebrows furrowing, and hollered in a shrill voice, "WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?! I'm _starving_!"

Another voice yelped, making itself known, as a stained koopa stepped out of a hallway, with a frown, and stated, a French accent lining his tone, "Sit tight, Baby Bowser. It's almost ready."

"That's _Prince Bowser_ to you, Lum," he huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. The koopa frowned at this. "Besides, I'd been sitting here for hours! are you _trying_ to starve the only heir to the throne?!"

"Oh, nonsense.." Lum frowned, wiping down his yellow shirt and cleaning it up. He didn't know why though. "It's only been thirty minutes.. _Prince Bowser._ "

The rude prince smirked, red eyes glinting once more, but then he frowned again, staring at his minion, "It's still a long time!" he then snorted, "I feel like I'm going to _**DIE**_!"

The last word about shook the castle, dust falling from the nearly perfect ceiling. In fact, it seemed as if it wasn't up to par - cracked, singed, burnt - for the better part of a decade. Seemed as if this occurrence had been frequent. Lum the koopa shivered, a little frightened, but shook his head, "You'll be fine," and returned to his duty.

The koopa prince got up, growling, about to give chase. Bowser wasn't finished with him yet. But then a knock shattered those thoughts, and he growled, "Somebody, get the door!"

He waited, looking around. No one seemed to answer, strangely enough. No footsteps or cries of "I'll get it!" or anything. It all seemed a little weird, as Bowser furrowed his brow more, continuing to walk then, through various halls filled with paintings and his feet padding the soft red rug.

The koopa prince soon reached the ornate door, and opened it without hesitation. It seemed to be a young lady, blond locks cascading down her shoulders and back, and her extravagant blue dress made her sapphire eyes pop and shimmer.

"What do _you_ want?!" he snarled at her, and the taller didn't fidget, staring down upon the young prince with more or less concern.

She exhaled, white fog passing through her mouth. Winter was encroaching, but she didn't seem to care, wearing clothes not designed for the weather. But Bowser, however did, shivering in the doorway soon enough and was about to usher her, before the lady interrupted, "I come upon you because you seem unhappy."

"Unhappy? I'm perfectly fine!" he growled, crossing his arms and tapping his foot against the floor. "Wasting my time, letting the warm air out, just to tell me that!"

"Bowser, you're a liar," the lady didn't back down. And the young prince was shocked that she knew his name, before anger settled in, fire snorting through his nostrils. "For the longest time you've sat in this lonely castle."

"I have my servants. It's quite lively here," he interrupted with clenched teeth, trying to keep from blowing his top.

"Servants? why, this is a free world," the beauty gazed upon him, blue eyes boring through him.

"I'm a _prince_. I do whatever I please," he turned away, and slammed the door shut. The lady jolted, eyes wide. That certainly didn't go well. Perhaps she should go straight to the point…

Bowser paced away from the door, breathing in whatever warmth was left, as another servant, Kamek, came to check on him, robes flying about, "Sir, who was at the door?"

"None of your concern…" he growled.

The lowly wizard frowned, "Of course. Dinner is almost ready."

" _Almost?!_ you really _are_ trying to kill me, aren't you?!" the child advanced, brows furrowed angrily, and Kamek ran off down the hall from which he came, shouting a series of "No"'s, and that's when the door knocked again. Bowser snorted and stomped back to it, opening it with such force it almost splintered. He gripped the doorknob when he saw it was _her_ again, but before he could say anything, he got blasted, a purple darkness enveloping him.

In deep agony, the koopa writhed and flailed, as the lady kept a neutral face, watching with her glowing star wand raised. Soon, it was all over, and something was floating between them, a dark, small orb. Bowser gasped and huffed, and looked up, veins freezing upon the sight, "Wh.. what is that?"

His voice seemed smaller, more afraid, and she sighed, gazing upon it, "This.. is your heart. Your essence. Apparently, you're more than unhappy."

The prince took this in, all hostility having faded, and he tilted his head, ponytailed mohawk drooping as he did, "But why is it so dark?"

The seeming enchantress didn't answer that, choosing to keep staring. She twirled her wand, encasing it in a glass jar for all to see, for _him_ to see. She only said this one thing, "You hold no positivity in your heart. Cold, dark. That's all that's here."

Which did in fact answer why, in a way. Bowser huffed, crossing his arms again, "I have plenty of positivity!"

"No," this single word, soft though it may have been, was firm and seemed to echo throughout his establishment, garnering the attention of every servant. Bowser shivered, not from the cold, but from fear. She continued, "That is not what I meant. And I cannot give you any more than what I had."

The mysterious enchantress levitated the jar down to his level, and he raised his paws to grab it, gently. By this point, every servant - the boos, the koopas, goombas, parakoopas and -goombas - was crowding behind him, and she glanced at them, face stern, "You have till your thirty-first birthday, to lighten your heart."

"And what happens if I don't?" the prince inquired, raising an eyebrow. She simply regarded him with a grimace, which bothered him, and turned to walk away, wand lifted and glowing once more.

"Good luck," echoed as well, as she vanished into a bright light, leaving Bowser and his underlings worried and scared.

"What do we do now?" one of them cried, hopping from foot to foot.

Bowser turned to face them, closing the door with one hand and cradling his jar with the other. He could have sworn he saw his castle degrade just a little bit. He then shook his head, "I.. have no idea.."

And so.. life had gone on. The prince was becoming more grown each year, and every day he tried his best to resolve the situation in which he'd found himself. Year one had him practicing etiquette, with Lum's help. But it didn't get very far. His temper always managed to get the best of him, and Lum's unenthused attitude didn't help. Nonetheless, at the end of that year, he checked his heart that he now kept in the west wing.

Still dark.

He frowned and slammed his fist onto the table, causing everything to jolt upwards. Including the jar. He gasped and settled it down, trembling. He didn't know what would happen if it toppled over, but he didn't care to find out.

The castle seemed to darken as well, each day. And his minions had noticed and tried to fix it up. But everything they did seemed to reverse. Even Kamek's magic held no water.

And so it stayed, and worsened.

Year two was the time Bowser tried to learn social skills, from a rather talkative blue-shelled parakoopa named Carl. But this wasn't to last either, as Carl's motor mouth irritated him and just when he seemed to get it, his temper drove the poor parakoopa away. One good roar was enough, ringing through the entire castle, and Bowser didn't seem to have any regrets.

By the end, he checked again, climbing the stairs with excitement. Maybe his heart finally lightened, even with the slipup, for he felt he had learned so much. But, alas, his brows curving upwards in sadness, his thoughts were not to be.

It was still as black as ever.

The stone parakoopas decorating the castle had morphed into something resembling gargoyles, and the castle itself seemed morbid. And the servants became aghast at this, as well as the fact that they seemed to be slowly changing as well.

Several years passed of unlearned lessons and disappointing events, and year ten came rolling around. Bowser had turned twenty, and looked more like a king than a prince. He was larger and burlier, dressed in a fiery cloak and black outfit. His bright red, dark eyes graced his servants as he huffed. His servants looked not like themselves at all. The living were the undead, at least physically, and the originally cute boos were hulking. And the castle was drearier than ever.

This year had him trying to make friends beyond his servants, sending him into the town bordering the forest. He wondered why they thought he was ready for this. But he nonetheless took it.

Needless to say, it didn't go well either, with the toads screaming and running when all he wanted was to greet them and try and put his skills to the test. He found himself in the midst of a terror town, red eyes wide. And then he cracked, running back to his castle. He ended up blowing his top within the woods, just about burning it all down. And then, drooping, walked back. He ignored Kamek's questions, heading straight for the west wing.

He passed his torn paintings, his destroyed furniture, stomping through the hall to the jar sitting atop the one table that wasn't destroyed. Maybe now it had lightened, if only just a tad.

Bowser gazed at it, and was once again disappointed, but horrified. The heart.. it.. it was even _darker_. The prince slumped slightly, eyes quivering. Was it all for naught?

 _Was it all for nothing?_

He growled then, ferocity returning to his eyes, and he slashed a nearby curtain. A certain lady noticed this, and bit her lip. She had been watching the castle for a long while now, keeping tabs. But it seemed he needed a little help. She couldn't do much, except give him two things.

A rose. And a mirror.

These two things appeared on the table in a bright flash of light, stopping the monster from further going amuck. He looked at them, admiring the gently glowing rose, and then staring confusedly at the mirror. He picked up the rose, and gently slid it into his outfit, and then grabbed the mirror, checking his reflection. He then muttered gutturally, "I wonder what my servants are cooking up for me next…"

Bowser seemed sour. He didn't want to go back there. But then the mirror began to shine a light green, and his reflection rippled, becoming replaced with exactly what his servants were doing. He could even hear them. The giant koopa blinked, watching briefly, before he set it down gently, deactivating the powers. He sighed, bringing his gaze back to his heart.

Nothing was ever going to work. He'd tried everything. It didn't matter. He was doomed to an uncertain fate. And he couldn't change it.

The lady bit her lip, eyes widening. This was the last thing she wanted to happen. But what had she been expecting? she was far too vague. And now he seemed resigned to his fate. And it was to become a monster. Cruel, driven by the darkness in his heart. Forever.

But.. she couldn't tell him that.

She _wouldn't_..

She could only hope that his direction changed, for good _and_ for the better. But who could ever learn to love a beast?

* * *

 **A/N:** Alright... maybe I _will_ continue this. :3  
Just tell me what I can use other than Drive and Docs.


	2. Newcomers

**A/N:** Glad that this story is receiving some good reception! :3 and here's Chapter One!

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 **Koopa and the Peach  
** **Chapter One: Newcomers**

It had been twenty years, and the entire town was still thriving, with only the castle in the distance reminding them of the darkness in the land. However, there was another castle in their own land. A beacon of hope and of light that brought happiness to most everyone who looked upon it.

Just five years prior a then teenage blonde was crowned princess, by her own father, simply known as the Mushroom King, before he passed. It was tough upholding the entire kingdom, but she did her best with a gentle touch, and as an adult she was a natural at it. Simply by sight alone she was able to resolve conflict among her people.

But she had grown to find it, though peaceful, boring. There was something about it that wasn't exactly lively, but she wasn't sure what. Even the balls she'd occasionally thrown weren't enough. The princess herself pondered about this on the balcony, humming softly a melody her father used to sing to her, the spring breeze blowing through.

The beautiful blonde, wearing pink, flowy clothes and a tiara upon her head, searched the town with her vivid blue eyes. Lost in thought.

"Oh, dear Peach, there you are!" an elderly voice called, cutting through her thoughts.

She smiled, eyes twinkling, and turned around, and waved daintily, "Oh, hi, Uncle Gadd."

Well, at least she had _one_ aspect of life that wasn't boring by any means. A balding, short man stood before her, in front of the doorway next to a glass stained window of her portrait, oil stains marking his clothing. He was an inventor. Eccentric, but a worthy asset of her crew. And she was proud to call him an uncle, even though he really wasn't. Gadd smiled, "How have you been?"

"Mm," she fingered her chin, "just thinking. In fact, I was just about to head out to the library."

"Don't cha know there's one here?" those thick eyebrows rose, and Peach chuckled.

"There's books even this library doesn't have," the princess smiled, but her face paled. "Oh! I just remembered! I have a book due back today!"

Gadd tutted, shaking his head, "Well, you'd best go return it. Mind picking up a few things for me too?"

"Not at all," she nodded, biting her lip. The little inventor cheered and gave her a list, and then she set out, heading to her room, grabbing the book and then prancing outside. Every toad greeted her as if it was a new day, even though she'd been on the balcony within their sights for the better half. They had set upon their daily tasks, and Peach knew every single thing they did.

That blue-spotted one, sitting by the warm fountain? did the laundry every day, at the same time. And he looked to be about to get up and do it.

That red-spotted toad, closer to town, tended to his blooming garden. He was tilling and pulling out weeds even now!

And the one with green spots herded the sheep, blowing his whistle. But no matter how busy they seemed, they always spared her a hello.

She waved back, but sighed before long. It was predictable. Which was good. But it was _too_ much. She needed some variety and flavor. But her duties never took her far from town. Never really allowed it.

Little did she know, that it would change. Whether she liked it or not.

Peach pulled out that book and started to read it again, finding herself in an adventure once again. Toads all around her shouted their greetings, even one struggling with chickens and another bartering for eggs.

Nose stuck in her book, she didn't seem to notice now, but her feet took her where she wanted to go. That's just how much she knew this place.

The princess in pink hummed to herself, turning a page, and then looked up. What luck. She was standing right in front of the parts shop. No doubt what Uncle Gadd needed was here. So she dog-earred her book, put it away and pushed her way in, the door setting off a bell.

It was a casual, homey type of place,mahogany floors and sunset curtains. Which made sense because a fair amount of these stores doubled as houses. A Bubblainian seemed to be running the store, as usual, and was fast asleep, as usual. She frowned softly and rung the bell on the desk, and she jolted awake, "Oh! sorry sorry!"

Peach chuckled, "Not to worry."

The snail gasped once she recognized the voice and the focusing face, "Oh, it's the princess!"

The lady nodded, grimacing gently. This happened every time too, and her ears were graced with repeated apologies.

"Matilda.. it's okay," she calmed her down as kindly as possible, reaching into her pocket. "I just came to get these parts."

She handed Matilda the paper, and she read through it, slithering off to the back, "Alright. I'm sure we have all of what you need."

Minutes later, the snail had the parts bagged and handed it to the princess, warmly smiling, "It's on the house."

"Um, I'm pretty sure I should pay for this.." the lady interjected, looking fairly uncomfortable.

"Dear, you're a princess.. you're exempt," Matilda waved her off, and slithered to the back once more. Peach's brow furrowed, and she reached into her pocket, got out some star coins, and silently placed them on the counter before she left.

Peach then made her way to the library, looking for the tall tower-like building. Unbeknownst to her, two relatively new, mustached denizens were sitting on a park bench beneath a well-endowed tree, dressed in blue overalls and green and red shirts and hats. The one in green was rubbing his large nose, looking around with sapphire eyes, when he saw her, and pointed, "Mario, look!"

The one in red, Mario, followed his younger, taller brother's finger, blue eyes snapping to attention. There she was again, and he felt the same way he did when he first saw her in that bright pink dress. He blushed, muttering, "Peach.."

"You always wanted to talk to her, no?" the green one nudged Mario, his dialect almost thick with an Italian accent. "Now's your chance!"

"B..but she's a _princess_ , Luigi, and I'm a _plumber_ ," the plump man frowned softly, fidgeting, and then threw up his gloved hands. "She's _way_ out of my league."

He had an Italian accent too, but by no means did they sound the same. Luigi had a more careful tone, though here he seemed confident, and his voice was a little deeper than Mario's.

The younger brother sighed and shrugged, "Well, you'll have to talk to her _some_ time. She roams around here every day and I don't think that'll last forever, bro."

Mario continued to watch, until the lady of his dreams disappeared into a building, and nodded, casting his gaze down to the ground, "Yeah.. you're right."

Peach, as of now, was talking the library owner's nonexistent ears off, and he just listened, chuckling every now and then. She danced across the foyer, gesturing widely at all the books offered. She'd read almost all of them at least once, and Toadsworth admired every bit of it. Grey mustache twitching and eyes twinkling, he half-joked, "You might as well borrow every book here since you love them so much."

Peach laughed, "I would, but that wouldn't be nice for the town."

The elder toad shrugged, "Not very many borrow books from here anyway. You're my only dedicated customer."

Peach turned to him, brow furrowed sadly, "Well, that's a shame! these books are wonderful!"

"Aren't they?" he agreed with a nod. The princess then handed over the book, and he took it and used a ladder to put it back.

"I'd like to borrow another one," she stated, heading for another ladder and climbing it to the highest shelf.

"Another?" Toadsworth chuckled, making his way back to the floor.

"Yes.." she replied with a flourish, scanning the books with a squint, "something I hadn't read yet.. I'm looking for variety this time…"

"That's.. quite a few," he tilted his head, and began looking himself, blowing the dust off some and wiping away others.

It took a bit, but Toadsworth shouted, "AHA! found one!"

Peach's face lit up as she slid down the ladder and skipped over, kneeling down to read the title. "The Prince and the Pauper?" she blinked.

"Ah, heh," the elder toad adjusted his glasses, "it's a classic."

"Then I'll take it!" the lady smiled, and Toadsworth nodded, handing it to her.

"And never you mind taking it back. You can add it to your collection."

Peach gasped, hand on her lips, "Really? but I couldn't!"

"But I insist," the twinkling in his eyes returned. "No one touches this book anyway."

The princess tilted her head for a while, and nodded, "Well, okay. I'll be sure to report how it is," and headed for the door, book in hand.

"Alright, have fun!" Toadsworth called, and Peach waved, pushing the door open. The spring breeze graced her once again, and she inhaled the aroma of flowers and nature, before she looked down at the book, thumbing at the cover.

This was hers.

She smiled, and opened it to the first page, beginning to read, and then proceeded to walk back to the castle. Mario was pacing near the bench chanting a mantra to himself, with Luigi pepping him up, before the latter noticed and grinned, "Hey, there she is again!"

"Huh?!" the plump young man snapped out of his trance, head popping up and snapping around, before he found himself pushed towards the path and hearing "Go get her, bro!" from a seemingly far away place.

He didn't realize how far he was pushed until he heard another, concerned, voice, a lighter, more feminine one, and his veins froze. He felt like a deer caught in headlights, as he looked at her. And then he realized that he was only looking at her knees. He had somehow fallen in her path. Luigi seemed horrified, a gloved hand over his mouth.

"Oh, are you alright?" the princess knelt, hand offered to help him up.

He blushed softly, but his skin tone made it as plain as day, and he took her dainty hand gently. She pulled him up onto his feet, and he brushed himself off, "Um, I'm fine. Just a little fall, is all."

"Good. I don't think I'd seen you here before," she sized him up with her brilliant sapphires, in which he almost got lost, but realized she was still talking to him.

"Oh, that's because we're new here," Mario stated, smiling softly. "Just arrived two days ago, I believe."

"Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom then," she gave a ghost of a bow, before she blinked. "Wait, 'we'?"

The plump plumber glanced his brother's way, "Yes, I have a brother. We're twins." And then he smiled, "Luigi, come on over!"

The slender plumber gulped just then, a little nervous now, and sorta waddled over, fiddling with his fingers. He then bowed, "Hello, Princess.. it's, ah.. nice to meet you.."

"No need for the formalities," the princess chuckled, and Luigi straightened up, shocked, while Mario chuckled, but furrowed his brow a bit. "Just call me Peach. What are _your_ names, newcomers?"

Mario clammed up for a moment, while his brother introduced himself with no troubles. He then nudged his brother, and the shorter plumber yelped, "Mario! it's Mario."

"Mario and Luigi, huh?" Peach tilted her head softly, gazing upon them with kind eyes, and then her smile grew wider, "It's nice to make an acquaintance."

The two brothers nodded, and Mario pulled at his collar, about to ask what he wanted to ask, when suddenly a shrill noise echoed off from the castle, prompting them all to turn towards it with wide eyes, and then there was an explosion high in the air, plumes of smoke rising up. Peach seemed to know what it was, walking towards it.

"What was that?!" they asked at the same time, looking at her with concern, their faces white as a blanket.

"My uncle is working on an invention. He needs my help!" at that moment she realized he needed these parts. But she didn't think he'd try without them. Unless it was something else. Seemed more likely.

"Can we come help too?" Luigi volunteered, glancing at his brother, who glanced back. Both were ready to help, she saw, and she appreciated it, but she had no time at the moment.

Peach turned them down, "Sorry, but I need to hurry! but you're welcome to come later! bye!"

And with that, she ran towards the castle grounds, leaving two confused and deathly concerned plumber brothers. But, talking with her..

..it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.

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 **A/N:** And there's the introduction of Mario and Luigi! you can kinda guess what their roles are, but eh. xD  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!


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